Seated Performances

Dr. David Bissell, lecturer in sociology at the Research School of Social Sciences, the Australian National University, points out in a recent exploratory article that: “Sedentary bodies invariably spend much time seated.”

The research paper examines the broader concept of ‘comfort’ by focussing in particular on one commonly-used comfort-provider — The Chair: “I explore sitting as a bodily configuration where a desirable sensibility of comfort can potentially be attained.”

Bissel points out an often overlooked subtlety of being seated: “Put simply, it perhaps takes bodily effort to be physically comfortable: the body-chair assemblage has to be negotiated.”

In effect then, chair-use constitutes what the author terms ‘Seated Performances‘.The study is published in the journal Environment and Planning A 2008, volume 40, pages 1697 – 1712

Posted by Martin Gardiner onTuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 12:15 am
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